Can I afford to live in Maine? (Rockland, Ellsworth: rentals, job openings)

[YarnLady]

Originally Posted by Teener12

Living here affects my quality of life, if you consider we really don’t get much of a winter and I’d say at least 8 out of the 12 months are to hot for me .

This is my family & myself.
People always say the winters are harsh here and there but I am in Central Florida and I think we had a week or 2 with no AC on. 99 for our forecast next week which means the temp will feel closer to 115.
Plus, my work means I make more heat & humidity and I have to do it inside because the weather is too brutal here.
I am looking forward to moving back north, myself. I can't do this heat anymore & more poor kids can't even play outside for 10 months out of the year UNLESS you can afford a pool and everything that goes with it(and I'm too nervous about them so I'd rather not even try).

[writerlibrarian]

Originally Posted by YarnLady

This is my family & myself.
People always say the winters are harsh here and there but I am in Central Florida and I think we had a week or 2 with no AC on. 99 for our forecast next week which means the temp will feel closer to 115.
Plus, my work means I make more heat & humidity and I have to do it inside because the weather is too brutal here.
I am looking forward to moving back north, myself. I can't do this heat anymore & more poor kids can't even play outside for 10 months out of the year UNLESS you can afford a pool and everything that goes with it(and I'm too nervous about them so I'd rather not even try).

Same here. I've lived all over, currently in Florida, and it gets hotter every year. The 'winter' was so short this year, and it's only going to get worse. My elderly father refuses to leave Florida, so I'm here for now, but I can't wait to move back up north. I'll pay higher taxes to have seasons again.

[GreenGene]

Originally Posted by Teener12

All of you have been great, and have really supported my idea of moving up there. I may change the area I move to but still be in close distance to the coast. I like the idea of moving to an are with a lake as suggested by @GreenGene, I may check out China Lake. Thanks so much for all your input and to help me make a dream come true!! Any info is helpful!!

Tina, one thing you might want to do is to use Google Maps (or something like it), and call up a coastal Maine town you're interested in. Then pull back from that town, expand the view, and see what towns (and lakes, ponds, rivers) there are inland from that spot.

For example, I was just looking at the stretch of Maine coast from Belfast (a favorite of ours) south through Northport, Lincolnville, Camden, Rockport, and Rockland. Then I looked inland, or west, and it isn't that far before you start to see smaller towns and bodies of water - lakes, ponds, rivers. I suspect you can live relatively close to the coast without having to spend the kind of money on housing that you would if you were living right on or very near the coast.

We're about 40 minutes to Belfast and 50 minutes to Camden, but that's fine with us - we don't head over that way *too* often. And I really wanted to be on a lake anyway.

[Teener12]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Maine has many rivers, lakes and ponds. You can afford to live on water frontage, if you dont mind that water being fresh water.





We moved to Maine with our youngest teenager still in highschool. So my pension was supporting three of us [myself, my wife, and our son].





Maybe if you were looking at settling in California. That is where I am from, at least. But here in Maine, we have a large house on a large property.





That is very reasonable.

Tell you what, come to Maine, give me a call and we will invite you over for dinner at our home.

I don't want to post my phone number here, but if you private message me, I will give you my number and address.

I would Love that!! That is so kind of you. Yes, I am on FB and Messenger- Tina McLaughlin

I look forward to hear from you. Thank you for your kindness!!

Sincerely,
Tina

[Teener12]

Originally Posted by GreenGene

Tina, one thing you might want to do is to use Google Maps (or something like it), and call up a coastal Maine town you're interested in. Then pull back from that town, expand the view, and see what towns (and lakes, ponds, rivers) there are inland from that spot.

For example, I was just looking at the stretch of Maine coast from Belfast (a favorite of ours) south through Northport, Lincolnville, Camden, Rockport, and Rockland. Then I looked inland, or west, and it isn't that far before you start to see smaller towns and bodies of water - lakes, ponds, rivers. I suspect you can live relatively close to the coast without having to spend the kind of money on housing that you would if you were living right on or very near the coast.

We're about 40 minutes to Belfast and 50 minutes to Camden, but that's fine with us - we don't head over that way *too* often. And I really wanted to be on a lake anyway.

I would love to live near Fresh water, being on the ocean is not a must for me. Thank you so much for you’re input and encouragement!!

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by writerlibrarian

Same here. I've lived all over, currently in Florida, and it gets hotter every year. The 'winter' was so short this year, and it's only going to get worse. My elderly father refuses to leave Florida, so I'm here for now, but I can't wait to move back up north. I'll pay higher taxes to have seasons again.

Maine has difficult winters and Florida has difficult summers. Those looking to avoid extremes on either end would probably be best off (on the East coast) living in VA, MD or PA, in my opinion. You still get freezing temps and days in the 90s, but you don't get 5 months of weather that usually goes into the 90s for a high (FL), or 5 months of weather that usually dips below freezing for a low (ME).

[writerlibrarian]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Maine has difficult winters and Florida has difficult summers. Those looking to avoid extremes on either end would probably be best off (on the East coast) living in VA, MD or PA, in my opinion. You still get freezing temps and days in the 90s, but you don't get 5 months of weather that usually goes into the 90s for a high (FL), or 5 months of weather that usually dips below freezing for a low (ME).

I grew up in Rhode Island and ideally will go back there someday, but it will depend on my budget when I'm ready to make the move. RI can be very expensive.

Having said that, I lived in Minnesota and South Dakota for the better part of a decade. Winters don't get much harsher than that, and I never minded the cold or the snow. I prefer difficult winters over difficult summers, having lived with both.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by writerlibrarian

I grew up in Rhode Island and ideally will go back there someday, but it will depend on my budget when I'm ready to make the move. RI can be very expensive.

Having said that, I lived in Minnesota and South Dakota for the better part of a decade. Winters don't get much harsher than that, and I never minded the cold or the snow. I prefer difficult winters over difficult summers, having lived with both.

I am like you - if I am going to pick my poison, it'll be the tough winters. I can dress for comfort on a 20-degree day, but I can't dress for comfort on a 95-degree day. I spent 2 years in the suburbs just north of Washington DC when I was a lot younger and a lot thinner, and even then, the summer heat and humidity was about as much as I wanted to deal with - while living there, I got a job offer from an oil firm in Houston but after interviewing and feeling 85-degrees and humid in March, I said no thank-you .. Plus Maine is just... something about it, I just find it so beautiful Maine is the jewel of the lower-48 states in my eyes.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Teener12

I would love to live near Fresh water, being on the ocean is not a must for me. Thank you so much for you’re input and encouragement!!

You might look at Bucksport, ME as one possible destination. I don't know too much about it, as I've just driven through on my way up north, but it seems nice enough on those passes. Home values look to be a real bargain. I don't think the job market is too good but if you're retired that's not a big concern. It's right on the Penobscot River, big enough to have a real supermarket to get food at decent prices, and coastal places like Belfast, Castine, Stonington, Blue Hill and even Mt Desert Island are all within easy driving distance... plus, Bangor, which has good medical care is only about a half-hour drive from Bucksport too.

[GreenGene]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Maine has difficult winters and Florida has difficult summers. Those looking to avoid extremes on either end would probably be best off (on the East coast) living in VA, MD or PA, in my opinion. You still get freezing temps and days in the 90s, but you don't get 5 months of weather that usually goes into the 90s for a high (FL), or 5 months of weather that usually dips below freezing for a low (ME).

I spent most of my life living in the VA/DC/MD region - just a little bit actually living in DC, but I worked in DC for 30+ years, and here's my take on weather in that area. Spring is wonderful, and fall is darn good as well, even though there's some degree of humidity year-round. Summer is nice if you like saunas. And winters can be miserable - some snow, some rain, and some bone-chilling cold from time to time, not due to temperatures so much as rain/snow/sleet/ice and humidity.

Personally, I feel more comfortable here in Maine in 25 degrees than I ever felt in VA in 35 degrees. On the other hand, I never experienced 25 degrees below zero in VA - I have in Maine!

I admit I miss spring in the DC area. It's *really* nice.

I am just fine with the rest of the year in Maine.